


and we danced on (into the night)

by livmoores



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Celebrations, Dancing, F/M, First Kiss, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26592292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livmoores/pseuds/livmoores
Summary: “Dance with me?”The question took him off guard. Dimitri blinked as he stared at her hand. Was Claude behind this? He didn’t know. He wouldn’t put it past him to suggest to Byleth that she should dance with Dimitri. He cleared his throat and set down his drink.“You want me to dance with you?”
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 24
Kudos: 65





	and we danced on (into the night)

**Author's Note:**

> just a quick little post AM (except the golden deer fought along them, with whoever I want from the black eagles) fic to get me back into writing these two. i missed them so much. i love them. _i love them so much_ and I hope this makes up for the angst i have planned/me avoiding my longfic
> 
> song inspiration/title from "into the night" by santana ft. chad kroeger.

For the first time in Dimitri’s life, the sound of drums was peaceful.

It was a lively celebration. Dimitri expected no less. The war had been won and it was the first celebration since the Empire had been defeated. The blonde grimaced as he recounted the events of hours previously, his shoulder aching. He took a swig of his ale and leaned back into his chair. Now was not the time to focus on the horrors and aftermath of the war. This was a time of celebration, a time that he should be enjoying with the rest of his companions.

Dimitri was enjoying the festivities. It was wonderful to see everyone smiling, laughing and not a single care on their face. Their past celebrations had been marred by the ongoing war. They may have been happy but they weren’t relaxed. For the first time in five years, they were relaxed as they danced, drank and sang their worries away. That alone was enough to make him smile and feel content. Still, he couldn’t shake the anxiety of what tomorrow and the future would bring.

 _You don’t get to be happy, my son. You won out of a fluke, nothing more_.

Lambert’s harsh words were getting louder. He took another drink of his ale, not noticing that Claude had plopped down next to him.

“Don’t look so sullen, Your Highness. You just won a war!” The smile on Claude’s face was infectious; Dimitri felt the corner of his lips turn up. “You should be happy! You should be out there dancing with everyone! Isn’t there anyone you want to dance with? There must be someone.”

Dimitri felt his cheeks flush. There was one person that caught his attention but that person always caught his attention. His eye drifted towards the dance floor, scanning for her. Byleth was off to the left, dancing with Mercedes. They were both terribly off tempo, but they were happy and laughing. His heart swelled at the image.

Byleth had discarded her cloak, leaving her top, shorts and tights. It left little to the imagination. Her hair was swaying back and forth with the way her body moved. She looked so happy, so content and Dimitri didn’t want to ruin that. He choked on his ale at the thought of asking Byleth to dance.

“Come on, Your Majesty. Relax. Enjoy the night. We can worry about the politics and logistics tomorrow. Tonight is about having fun and relishing in your victory.” Claude stood up from his chair, waved goodbye, and left Dimitri alone with his thoughts.

Claude was right. He did need to enjoy the night but he couldn’t help but think about what tomorrow would bring. There would be planning, moving battalions, rebuilding the Empire, and so forth. It was a long list of chores that had to be tackled immediately. Could he genuinely enjoy this night? Would his comrades welcome him?

The blonde was lost in his thoughts again when Byleth materialized in front of him. Her face was flushed from the alcohol and heat, the ale in her hand, and she wore a wide smile on her face. She outstretched her hand to him.

“Dance with me?”

The question took him off guard. Dimitri blinked as he stared at her hand. Was Claude behind this? He didn’t know. He wouldn’t put it past him to suggest to Byleth that she should dance with Dimitri. He cleared his throat and set down his drink.

“You want me to dance with you?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.” Byleth followed suit and set down her drink. She leaned in closer, her hand still outstretched. “You’ve been sitting at the table since the celebration started. I understand that your wounds have been healed to the best of the healer’s ability and you might be in pain, but I worry that you’re going to focus on what’s going to happen tomorrow instead of tonight.”

She wasn’t wrong. They both knew it. He sighed. “There’s so much to do and so much I need to make up for. We may have won this war a few hours ago but there is a lot we need to consider. We need to start taking ac-” Dimitri’s ramblings were cut off by Byleth’s finger pressing up against his lips.

She was so close. All he had to do was lean in and close the distance. He sucked in a breath at her gentle touch. Ever since she had opened her arms to him, he had taken them without question. He constantly thought about what would happen after the war, how he would ask her to be his and his queen, but those thoughts seemed impossible. It had only been a couple of moons ago that Dimitri realized he wasn’t going to die in order to win win the war.

“Tomorrow. Dimitri, please, that is something we can worry about tomorrow.” She looked over at the rest of her former students. “For the first time in five years, they are celebrating life. They are celebrating a life that they have created and fought for. There is little worry about dying the next day. That is a cause for celebration and one that you should be involved in. So I repeat, dance with me.”

It wasn’t a question.

“If you insist.”

“I do.”

Dimitri chuckled at her perseverance. He took her hand, trying his best not to focus on how perfectly it fit into his, and let her lead him to the dance floor.

The only dancing Dimitri knew was formal and stiff. It was custom as the crown Prince. The dances were formal, a result of a ball, and nothing more. It was a stark contrast compared to Byleth, who knew no dances, and opted for swaying her hips to the beat. It was utterly captivating. Dimitri watched her with interest, his cheeks going pink as he thought about his hands on her hips. Byleth was dancing along to the beat of the drum, not a care in the world.

She never let go of his hand. She pulled herself closer to him, still moving to the music, as she tried to encourage him to do the same. Dimitri’s footing was awkward and he was worried about crushing Byleth’s hands with his strength. Byleth didn’t seem to care. The smile on her face was growing by the moment and her eyes were wide with wonder as she stared at him.

“I don’t know how to dance,” Byleth confused after a few minutes. She was _so_ close, her chest almost pressed up against his. Dimitri didn’t know what to do with his hands. “I never needed to learn. Even at the ball, when Claude dragged me into a dance, I let him lead. The next day he told me that the next time I dance I should go with the beat of the drum and the energy of the room, pleasantries be dammed.”

“That sounds like Claude. For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing an excellent job.”

Byleth pressed her chest up against Dimitri, closing the distance between them. His cheeks flushed as she guided his free hand to her hip. His face went darker as he averted her gaze. How much had she had to drink? Surely this was guided by alcohol and nothing more? Dimitri couldn’t get his hopes up.

“I’m giving you my advice. Follow my lead.”

She didn’t have to ask twice.

Any discomfort Dimitri had over their close contact was lost as he watched her, following her every move. The world around him had gone still. All that mattered was the mint haired beauty in front of him. There could have been utter chaos beside him and he wouldn’t have noticed because he was so fixated on Byleth.

Goddess help him, he loved her so much.

Dimitri only hoped that she would return his affections. The engagement ring felt heavy in his pocket as he danced along with her, spinning her around. He had brought the engagement ring with him as they had marched to Enbarr. Outside of Byleth’s presence, it served as another reminder. They had to win this war. They had to stay alive. He had to do it for her.

The tempo of the music changed. It was soft, accompanied by a violin he wasn’t aware existed. Byleth pulled herself closer to Dimitri and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. His eye scanned the room. Ingrid had been roped into the dance by Sylvain, Felix was with Annette, Mercedes with Dedue, and even Hilda had dragged Caspar to the floor for the slow dance.

“How’s your night going?” Dimitri asked. He was trying not to focus on perfectly Byleth fit into him.

“Better now that you’re here.” She turned her head up to look at him. The apparent alcohol-induced flush was disappearing from her cheeks. “Truthfully, I was worried about you. I remember how you were the night of the ball and how quick you were to leave. I didn’t want that to happen tonight.”

Leaving had crossed his mind many times. When he felt he was at his breaking point and his anxiety was boiling over, he would look for Byleth, see how relaxed she was, and start to relax. He wouldn’t leave until she left the party. Part of it was making sure she was safe. The rest of it was the undeniable pull he felt towards her.

“I wouldn’t have left without you,” he offered.

“Good.”

The tempo stayed at its slow pace as they slowly moved around in circles. Dimitri caught Claude giving him a thumbs up. The blonde turned his attention back to his dance partner, who was looking at him with such curiosity that caused Dimitri to raise his eyebrows.

“What’s on your mind?”

Byleth opened her mouth and then shut it quickly. Dimitri took the chance to spin her around before pulling her back. She bit her lip and Goddess, she looked adorable.

“Can I kiss you?”

Dimitri stopped moving as he stared at her. What had she just asked him? Did he hear her correctly? He stared at her. Her face appeared to be void of emotion but Dimitri knew better. She was serious. She had seriously asked him if she could kiss her.

What was it that Sylvain had said? Take a chance, go for it? Something along those lines. He had mentioned it to him as he teased Dimitri relentlessly over his obvious crush on the Professor during their academy days. Dimitri had brushed it off to the side. It was a silly crush, an admiration of his Professor, and nothing more. Nothing would come of it.

Except now.

Dimitri removed his hand from her waist and cupped her chin. She was so tiny compared to him. He leaned in closer and pressed his forehead against hers. The world around them had stopped again. Nothing mattered but the two of them.

“Are you sure?”

_She doesn’t want you. You’re a filthy monster unworthy of love._

“I wouldn’t have asked you if I wasn’t, Dima.”

All resolve Dimitri had broke at his nickname. He closed the distance between the two of them, capturing his lips against hers. Her lips were soft compared to his chapped ones. He moved his hand from her chin to the side of her cheek, keeping the other one planted firmly on her waist. The butterflies in his stomach intensified. She smelled like cedarwood. If only he could know what she tasted like.

Byleth titled her head to the side and deepened the kiss. She stood up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck as Dimitri moved his hand from her cheek to her hair. His fingers wrapped around the strands, doing his best not to tug.

This must be what Heaven felt like. Maybe the Goddess wasn’t so cruel after all.

Dimitri pulled away first, keeping his forehead pressed against hers. He was trying to catch his breath and Byleth was doing the same. Her lips were swollen, her hair a little tousled, and she looked starstruck. She was _beautiful_.

They didn’t speak as they tried to recatch their breath. The tempo of the music changed again to something more upbeat. They stayed fixated in their position. A wolf whistle, a clap, and a cheer was heard in the background. Dimitri blushed once he realized others were staring at them. Byleth’s cheeks were turning pink at the same realization.

“Meet me at the Goddess Tower tomorrow,” Dimitri blurted out. When their lips had touched, Dimitri knew his fate was sealed. He would propose to her tomorrow.

“Only on one condition.”

Dimitri’s heart dropped. What could it be? Had he misread the situation? No, Byleth was the one who had asked to kiss him. She was the one who had initiated. Given that she wasn’t moving away from him, it had to be his anxiety speaking. His grip tightened around her. Now that she was here, he would have a hard time letting her go.

“Anything.”

His voice wavered. Byleth, sensing his distress, leaned in and kissed him. It was soft, chaste, and she hoped that it soothed whatever worries he had. The _I love you_ was on the top of her tongue but she refrained. While she had some alcohol in her system, it wasn’t enough to inhibit her. She was still level-headed and knew her thought process.

“Stay by my side for the rest of the night.”

There was no sexual implication to her words; she wanted Dimitri next to her for the rest of the party. They would go their separate ways for the night and meet again in the morning, where they would work on their plans to rebuild Fodlan. And like Dimitri (although Byleth didn’t know it), she would confess her feelings tomorrow. His suggestion to meet at the Goddess Tower was perfect. She wanted to make sure he understood that her expression of love didn’t come from the adrenaline of winning a war but how she truly felt.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I would not have it any other way.”

**Author's Note:**

> sylvain, with tears in his eyes, proud af: that's my boy!!!!


End file.
